Belford's Heart

Chapter 37: Belford's Heart

Philip leapt onto Grifford's back, hearing the roar of the oncoming flame fly toward them. Grifford called into the air with the sound of a thousand eagles, leaping with all his strength from the ledge and taking to the sky. The flame was a vibrant blue as it shot from the opening, and Philip felt the heat upon his back as they began to fly. His blouse had caught fire, and he ripped it quickly from his back and threw it down into the rocky landscape beyond the mountain. Grifford cried out as the heat singed the hair on his tail, but he pushed into the air and sent them flying quickly. They continued to the West, Philip turning back to the Eternal Peak that had begun erupting in a vibrant and calming blue light. The tunnel he had just run from and all the others created for the mountain to breathe shot out. The peak that once stood looming over the world with a vicious presence now sang into the sky with the same beautiful blue as he continued far above the clouds. Philip smiled, tears of joy falling from his face and numbing the burning pain from his back.

"By all of her light, and with all of her glory!" Philip's voice rang out along with Grifford's call. "Fly, Grifford. Belford waits within the Peak!"

* * *

Belford emerged into the main chamber, pulling the crystal heart from the brazier and leaping onto the stone as the flame of Vathas rose quickly behind him. As he landed, the column was truly alight with a flame of vibrant blue. Belford turned for a moment to bear witness along with the violet woman who stood before him. And that is when he saw her.

"Evelyn!" Belford clasped the crystal heart within his hand, leaping toward her but being held back by something. An angry, terrible strength held his body from moving forward, and he turned to see Kressida staring up at him. He released himself, taking his ax into one hand and placing himself between her and Evelyn. Evelyn, his purpose, lying lifeless on the ground behind him. He wanted to cry, but he would not allow it. All the energy within him, all of the resolve that quickly faded from the salve given to him by Vathas, channeled into arms and his legs. His chest was warm, and he proclaimed, perhaps for the final time, four words he would be sure to make true. "You will not have her!"

"Fool!" Kressida hissed, eying the crystal heart in his hand. "What do you think will happen? You place that on her lifeless body and she comes to life again? That fire was all that she had left! You, and you alone, have killed her!"

The crowd surrounding them began to stir, their anger flowing into the chamber as footsteps approached him. The guards posted at the door, followed by two familiar faces, ran toward him. He placed the heart within the pocket of his trousers, and took hold of his ax, breathing one final breath before moving to face them. They charged him, dawning armor of flexible leather and swinging polearm blades down toward him. Something within him spoke of their movement. Every one of their swings and movements was known to him. He moved with the speed of a much smaller man, keeping his body away from their blade and begging the world for an opening to swing.

He felt the stinging pain of one of their blades slice through the flesh on his back. The pain was not enough to bring him to the ground. Instead, it fueled the anger within everything that he was, and he swung his ax just as he had to level a mammoth strongbark. The blade cut the man near to completion. He fell to the ground, shouting in pain as the golden glow of his eyes left him and his blood was a pool of ivory beneath him.

Belford pounded his chest twice, the crowd still unmoving in their places as the guard circled along with him. He shouted, crying into the chamber and swinging toward him. With only one man to beat, Belford met every swing with his own. Their blade sparked onto the floor, and the man swung toward him with such an immense amount of force for the size of his body. Belford shouted again, the shout growing a roar as the man's blade cut deep into his arm. Just as before, Belford used the shock of pain to swing his blade toward him. His ax buried itself deep into the man's neck, and the glow of his eyes left him as he fell into a pool of emerald blood flowing from him.